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Intonation

Author: Halcyon440
Date: 2005-03-29 14:27

Hi everyone! I started playing in December after having played the saxophone for some years. I was also a music major in college so I'm sort of an advanced beginner. So far things are going pretty well but I have some questions regarding intonation.

It appears to me that correct intonation is a combination of three different things: embouchure, reed, and air support. Am I right about this? Are all equally important or does one matter more than another?

When I first started playing all my notes were flat. Within a few weeks as my embouchure developed some of them tuned up. Now only my A's and B-flats are sometimes flat (if I don't support them well). In fact, I see to have the opposite problem - as I warm up my pitch gets sharper. My teacher says that this is normal and that it's just a sign that my embouchure is getting stronger. But it still bugs me to hear this. Do I possibly need harder reeds? My embouchure is still not fully formed though, so I don't want to go harder and start biting.

Anyway, I have a reed - which is on its last leg *sniff* - that plays pretty much in tune as long as I'm doing the right things. The new one that I'm warming up with plays all notes sharp. It's in tune with itself but I couldn't play with anyone else on that one. Does playing on a reed like that possibly hurt your pitch perception? I need to adjust it some to bring it down, I just haven't had the time. So rather than not play at all and spent all my practice time working on the reed, I usually end up playing on it. But am I doing more harm than good?

My question is when can I expect to have even and consistent intonation on all reeds and in all conditions? Will this not happen for years? Is this something even the pros struggle with?

I also heard from a teacher that certain intervals (like major thirds) actually sound better not in perfect tuning. So now I'm a bit confused about how precise I should be and how much I need to worry about intonation at this point in the game. Does intonation come later on once you master certain other things like breathing and embouchure and reed making? Or should I be making a conscious effort to be playing as perfectly in tune as I can right now?

What should I focus on?

Thanks for your help and time!

Hilda, adult amateur
"Nobody is ever patently right about music." - Vigil Thomson

Post Edited (2005-03-29 14:29)

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Halcyon440

2005-03-29 14:27